Digital display device

ABSTRACT

A digital device for displaying any desired numeric figure in any desired color, comprising in combination an arrangement of seven segments in the conventional pattern of digital display devices, sources of light of the colors green, blue and red, and means for illuminating any desired combination of the seven segments with any of the colors or combination of colors. A preferred embodiment comprises in combination seven groups of wires, each of these arranged in the conventional manner of digital display tubes, each group comprising three parallel wires at a small distance from each other, a color filter of three colors being provided so that in front of each of the three wires there is located a transparent strip of a different color, a frosted screen being provided in front of the color filter and a mask defining narrow transparent strips coinciding with the arrangement of the wires on or in vicinity of the color filter, leads being provided for actuating any desired combination of the seven wires and for actuating any of the three parallel wires of any combination thereof. A further embodiment comprises a digital display system wherein there are provided seven illumination elements, defining the seven segments-display, each of these comprising a housing in which there are provided three colored light bulbs of red, blue and green color respectively, at least one frosted screen being provided in front of these, means being provided for energinzing any combination of the seven segments and any of the light bulbs, or combination of these. Yet a further embodiment comprises a display system wherein the seven segments of the digital display are light valves, three light bulbs of the colors red, blue and green being provided behind the light valves, means being provided for actuating any desired combination of the light valves of the seven segment valve screen simultaneously with the actuation of one or more of the colored light bulbs.

United States Patent 1 1 Stolov 1 Dec. 2, 1975 1 1 DIGITAL DISPLAY DEVICE Michael Stolov, 25 Hapoel St., Nof-Yam, Herzliya, Israel 22 Filed: Nov. 7, 1973 211 Appl. No.: 413,529

[76] Inventor:

313/108 D, 109.5, 112, 510; 350/160 LC; 40/130 N, 132 C, 132E 56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,886,341 11/1932 Kirk 40/130 N 3,081,450 3/"1963 Sinninger..... 340/336 3,273,270 9/1966 Skrobisch 340/336 X 3,307,170 2/1967 Aoyama et a1 340/324 R 3,516,724 6/1970 Ashton et a1. 40/130 N 3,544,991 12/1970 Tsubakimoto et a1.. 340/336 X 3,569,614 3/1971 Hanlon 350/160 LC 3,587,093 6/1971 Paulsen 1 340/378 R 3,595,991 7/1971 Diller 340/324 R 3,641,390 2/1972 Nakamura 340/336 3,743,880 7/1973 Demarest 313/1095 Primary Examiner-David L. Trafton Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Browdy and Neimark [57] ABSTRACT A digital device for displaying any desired numeric figare in any desired color, comprising in combination an arrangement of seven segments in the conventional pattern of digital display devices, sources of light of the colors green, blue and red, and means for illuminating any desired combination of the seven segments with any of the colors or combination of colors. A preferred embodiment comprises in combination seven groups of wires, each of these arranged in the conventional manner of digital display tubes, each group comprising three parallel wires at a small distance from each other, a color filter of three colors being provided so that in front of each of the three wires there is located a transparent strip of a different color, a frosted screen being provided in front of the color filter and a mask defining narrow transparent strips coinciding with the arrangement of the wires on or in vicinity of the color filter, leads being provided for actuating any desired combination of the seven wires and for actuating any of the three parallel wires of any combination thereof. A further embodiment comprises a digital display system wherein there are provided seven illumination elements, defining the seven segments-display, each of these comprising a housing in which there are provided three colored light bulbs of red, blue and green color respectively, at least one frosted screen being provided in front of these, means being provided for energinzing any combination of the seven segments and any of the light bulbs. or combination of these. Yet a further embodiment comprises a display system wherein the seven segments of the digital display are light valves, three light bulbs of the colors red, blue and green being provided behind the light valves, means being provided for actuating any desired combination of the light valves of the seven segment valve screen simultaneously with the actuation of one or more of the colored light bulbs.

10 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures 1-0 6 lZ-C gbr EFABDCG DIGITAL DISPLAY DEVICE STATE OF THE PRIOR ART There are known various digital display devices which provide a sharp, high-brightness numeric display. These known incandescent devices permit the use of filters to obtain a display of any desired color. It is clear, that once the color of the filter is chosen, the color can only be changed by the change of the filter in front of the display device. It is clear that individual segments of such devices may be addressed to provide symbol or alphabetic output, such as letters.

The known digital display devices comprise seven segments of incandescent wire, a number of which may be actuated at will in any desired combination, so as to obtain the desired display of the wanted figure.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION The present invention provides a possibility to present a variety of information. The human memory for various colors is a good one, and thus it is easy for a person to remember and associate a certain color with a certain parameter. By indicating certain measurements in varying and distinct colors, it is possible to use one indicating mechanism for indicating information relating to various parameters. The color indicates in this case the kind of parameter, the digits appearing by means of the digital display device indicate the quantity associated with the given parameter.

For example, it is easy to associate a certain color with each of the following: addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Thus, when the result appears, the color confirms that the correct operation has been carried out.

As further example, the same indicator panel may be used for indicating varying parameters, as for example pressure, temperature, altitude, velocity, etc., each of these being associated with a given color; seven distinct colors being possible.

According to the invention, it is thus possible to convey by one numerical display device seven times the information conveyed by a conventional device of this type.

According to the present invention, a similar device is provided, the difference being the provision of three parallel incandescent wires instead of each of the seven incandescent wires of the conventional device, a composite color filter of the three basic colors, blue, red and green being provided, one color in front of each of the three parallel incandescent wires, means being provided for actuating any combination of the basic seven wire groups as in the conventional display device, further means being provided for actuating at the same time, one or more of the three parallel wires. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention there is provided a transluscent frosted screen in front of the three-colored filter. By actuating one or more of the closely spaced parallel wires any desired color is obtained and by changing the said wire or combination of wires, a change from one color to another can be obtained practically immediately. Best results are obtained when an opaque mask having transparent windows in front of the wires is provided behind or on top of the frosted screen.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention is illustrated with reference to the enclosed schematical drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an illustration of the arrangement of the eight wires in the conventional device;

FIG. 6 is a schematical front view of a device according to the invention;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the device according to FIG. 6, but on a smaller scale;

FIG. 4 is a fractional view (seen from above) of one group of three wires;

FIG. 2 is a section on line V-V of FIG. 4;

FIG. 5 is a schematical front view of an opaque mask with transparent strips for use in a device according to the invention.

FIG. 7 is a wiring diagram of a device of the type shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 9.

FIG. 8 is a top view of the device of FIG. 9;

FIG. 9 is a schematical side view of an illumination unit for one segment of a device according to the invention;

FIG. 10 is a schematical side view, in perspective and in partial section of another device according to the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As shown in FIG. 1, a conventional display device of the type of the Numitron devices comprises seven individually excitable resistance wires, A to G. A combination of a predetermined number of these makes possible to display any of the figures from O to 9; the FIG. 8 being obtained by actuating all the wires, the FIG. 2 by actuating wires A,B,G,E,D; the FIG. 4 by wires F,G,B,C etc.

As shown in FIG. 6 the same basic arrangement of wires is used in the device according to the present invention. There are provided seven groups of wires according to the arrangement of FIG. 1; but instead of each individual wire there is provided a group of three wires 11,12 and 13. A color filter of three parallel color strips made of glass or a suitable plastic material is provided in close proximity of the individual wires, in front of same. This is shown in greater detail also in FIG. 2; the leads to the wires 1 1, 12 and 13 are designated by the numerals 14, 15 and 16; the color filter comprises a blue middle section 18, and two adjacent sections 17 and 19, of green and red color, respectively. In front of the color filter there is provided a frosted screen of glass or plastic 20. On the frosted screen, either on its front or its back side, or in close vicinity of same, there is provided a mask 24, which is opaque. This mask has transparent sections 25 corresponding to the arrangement of the seven segments and the width of each of these sections is preferably less than the width of the three colored sections of the colored filter. The provision of the narrow transparent strips in front of the colored filter results in a sharp and clear image of the desired color, when one or more of the wires are actuated.

The entire assembly is encased in a glass bulb 21, which may be flat in front of the display arrangement, the wires being held in position by means of the support member 22. As shown in FIG. 6, with respect to two groups of three wires, each only, there is provided a common lead 23 and 23' respectively, for each group of wires l1, l2 and 13, and one common lead 14, 15

and 16 respectively for each of the three colours. Thus, there is provided a total of seven common leads 23 (designated as E,F,A,B,D,C,G, respectively) for each of the seven wire groups and three common leads (g,b,r) for each of the color groups. By means of these it is possible to obtain a display of any of the desired figures from O to 9, and each of the figures may be obtained in a desired color; by actuating the wires located behind the color filter 19, a red display is obtained, by that behind 18 a blue one; behind 17 a green one; by the simultaneous actuation of red and green a yellow color; all three a white color, etc.

In actual practice, and for a size of about that of the conventional digital display tubes, the three parallel wires are spaced at a distance of about 1 mm from each other; the distance from the wire to the filter in front of it being about 1 mm, the distance from the color filter to the frosted screen and mask in front of same being of the same order of magnitude. The width of the parallel colored strips comprising the filter is also about l mm for each of the colors. Due to the geometric configuration of the color filter, the light emanating from any portion thereof is projected onto the frosted screen in front of the mask, resulting in the desired mixed color. The non-transparent mask results in a sharp and bright image of the desired color and intensity.

According to a modification of the present invention, there may be used instead of the wires and the corresponding colorfilters, a combination of three differently colored light emitting diodes (red, blue and green), in the form of narrow, parallel strips, close to each other arranged in a similar manner behind a frosted screen and mask. Each of these strips can also be made up from a plurality of separate dots.

The wiring diagram of FIG. 7 illustrates further the arrangement of the wiring of a device of the type shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 9. As can be seen from the diagram, the device has only a total of ten pins for all the necessary connections, namely the pins of the seven segments designates as A to G, and the three pins of the three different colors, red (r), blue (b) and green (g). Each of the 21 leads (three each for each of the seven segments) is provided with a diode, 71,72,73 or other similar element having suitable thresholds. The provision of the diodes eliminates the cross-talk effect, which is the result of a half-voltage energization of the other segments of the same row, resulting in some light emmission which is undesired. The diodes prevent this effect and only the segments which are intended to be under current emit light. Due to the use of the diodes, or similar elements, it is possible to use a multiplex circuit for the actuation of a plurality of numbers.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the desired colored numbers are obtained by the use of seven segments of the type illustrated in Fig. 8 and 9, which are arranged in the conventional arrangement shown in FIG. 1. Each of these segments comprises a housing 81, made of light-impervious material, in each of these being provided three miniature light bulbs 82, 84 and 83, of red, green and blue color, respectively. These are wired in such manner that any one can be actuated at will, or that any combination of these can be lit simultaneously. In front of the light bulbs there is provided a frosted screen 85 and another transparent or translucent screen 86. When a suitable combination of such element is actuated, any desired number can be displayed in any desired color. It is clear that each of these illumination elements is arranged perpendicular 4 to the surface of the display element, the frosted screen 86 in front constituting part of the frontal surface of such element. FIG. 7 illustrates the wiring of all segments.

The display element illustrated in FIG. 10 is another embodiment of the present invention. This comprises an opaque housing 91, in which there are provided three color light-bulbs, 92, 93 and 94, which are red, blue, and green, respectively. In front of these are arranged a frosted screen 95, and parallel thereto the front display screen 96, which is light impervious, and which comprises seven segment 97, each of which is connected to an electric connection, all of which are designated as 98, these being connected with the pins designated as A to F. Each of the lamps 92,93 and 94 is connected with one of the pins g,b, and r, respectively, there being provided a common connection 0. The front screen is a liquid-crystal cell, which consists of a liquid crystal between two plates of glass on which electrodes have been deposited. The sevensegment electrode on the inner surface of the front plate is transparent. The rear glass plate is provided with a continuous electrode. In the absence of an electric voltage the liquid crystal is clear. When an electric field is applied to any of the segments, the liquid crystal in that region becomes turbid and scatters light. Numbers are formed by energizing appropriate segments, and these are displayed in any desired color by simultaneously lighting one or more of the colored light bulbs 92-94. Liquid crystal digital display devices are known, and the construction need not be described in detail. The novelty resides in the simple arrangement of the three colored light bulbs, which make it possible to display the desired number in any desired color.

What is claimed is:

1.. A digital display device for displaying a numeric desired figure in any desired color, comprising in combination:

an electronic digital display device including an arrangement of seven segments in the conventional pattern of digital display devices, comprising in combination seven groups of wires, each group comprising three parallel wires spaced apart at a small distance from each other;

a color filter having three color sections being provided so that in front of each of the three wires of each group there is located a color section of a different color;

a frosted screen being provided in front of said color filter;

a mask defining narrow transparent strips coinciding with the arrangement of said seven segments, on or in the vicinity of said frosted screen;

actuating means being provided for actuating any desired combination of the seven groups and for actuating at least one of the three parallel wires in each group.

2. A digital display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the color filter comprises strips of the colors blue, red and green.

3. A digital display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the width of the strips on the mask is less than the combined width of the three colored sections of the color filter.

4. A digital display device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the mask is applied to the transluscent frosted screen.

5. A digital display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said seven segments contains three filaments, one for each of the three colors, characterized in that each of the 21 filaments is provided with a diode or similar element; each group of three filaments of the seven segments having a common terminal, connected each to one of seven pins;

three further pins being provided, each one of said further pins being connected to the seven filaments of one of the three color, thereby making possible the actuation at will of any segment or combination of segments in any of the three colors or in a color resulting from a combination of two or three colors, by using only pins from a DC current source.

6. A digital display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said seven segments of the digital display are comprised of light valves, three light bulbs of the colors red, blue and green being provided behind said valves, means being provided for actuating any desired combination of said light valves of said seven segments simultaneously with the actuation of at least one of said colored light bulbs.

7. A device as claimed in claim 6, where the light valves are of a liquid crystal type.

8. The digital display device as recited in claim 6 further including means for actuating any desired combination of said light valves of said seven segments simultaneously with two or more of said colored light bulbs.

9. The digital display device as recited in claim 1 wherein said actuating means includes means for actuating two or more of said parallel wires in each desired group.

10. A digital display device for displaying a numeric desired figure in any desired color, comprising in combination:

an electronic digital display device, including an arrangement of seven segments in the conventional pattern of digital display devices, each of said seven segments including a red light emitting diode, a blue light emitting diode, and a green light emitting diode, each of said light emitting diodes in each of said seven segments being parallel to one another;

a frosted screen being provided in front of, and in close proximity to said light emittind diodes;

a substantially opaque mask provided behind siad frosted screen including transparent strips coinciding with the arrangements of said seven segments, each of said strips having a width less than the width of each corresponding segment so that the median line of each of said transparent strips substantially coincides with the median line of the middle light emitting diode of each of said segments;

and

actuating means being provided for actuating any desired combination of said seven segments and for actuating at least one of said light emitting diodes in each segment. 

1. A digital display device for displaying a numeric desired figure in any desired color, comprising in combination: an electronic digital display device including an arrangement of seven segments in the conventional pattern of digital display devices, comprising in combination seven groups of wires, each group comprising three parallel wires spaced apart at a small distance from each other; a color filter having three color sections being provided so that in front of each of the three wires of each group there is located a color section of a different color; a frosted screen being provided in front of said color filter; a mask defining narrow transparent strips coinciding with the arrangement of said seven segments, on or in the vicinity of said frosted screen; actuating means being provided for actuating any desired combination of the seven groups and for actuating at least one of the three parallel wires in each group.
 2. A digital display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the color filter comprises strips of the colors blue, red and green.
 3. A digital display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the width of the strips on the mask is less than the combined width of the threE colored sections of the color filter.
 4. A digital display device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the mask is applied to the transluscent frosted screen.
 5. A digital display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said seven segments contains three filaments, one for each of the three colors, characterized in that each of the 21 filaments is provided with a diode or similar element; each group of three filaments of the seven segments having a common terminal, connected each to one of seven pins; three further pins being provided, each one of said further pins being connected to the seven filaments of one of the three color, thereby making possible the actuation at will of any segment or combination of segments in any of the three colors or in a color resulting from a combination of two or three colors, by using only 10 pins from a DC current source.
 6. A digital display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said seven segments of the digital display are comprised of light valves, three light bulbs of the colors red, blue and green being provided behind said valves, means being provided for actuating any desired combination of said light valves of said seven segments simultaneously with the actuation of at least one of said colored light bulbs.
 7. A device as claimed in claim 6, where the light valves are of a liquid crystal type.
 8. The digital display device as recited in claim 6 further including means for actuating any desired combination of said light valves of said seven segments simultaneously with two or more of said colored light bulbs.
 9. The digital display device as recited in claim 1 wherein said actuating means includes means for actuating two or more of said parallel wires in each desired group.
 10. A digital display device for displaying a numeric desired figure in any desired color, comprising in combination: an electronic digital display device, including an arrangement of seven segments in the conventional pattern of digital display devices, each of said seven segments including a red light emitting diode, a blue light emitting diode, and a green light emitting diode, each of said light emitting diodes in each of said seven segments being parallel to one another; a frosted screen being provided in front of, and in close proximity to said light emittind diodes; a substantially opaque mask provided behind siad frosted screen including transparent strips coinciding with the arrangements of said seven segments, each of said strips having a width less than the width of each corresponding segment so that the median line of each of said transparent strips substantially coincides with the median line of the middle light emitting diode of each of said segments; and actuating means being provided for actuating any desired combination of said seven segments and for actuating at least one of said light emitting diodes in each segment. 